


The Strange Adventures Of Pretender And Zombieboy

by Random_Fandom



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-14 01:00:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7992787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Fandom/pseuds/Random_Fandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 times Jason and Tim work together and it doesn't end in blood. (Or at least not a lot of their blood.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Warehouse

"Pretender, hey, pretender," Jason said in a sing-song voice.

Tim knew he had been asking for it coming to Jason territory.

"Hello, Red Hood."

"Are you lost little bird? Don't you know the all the bad people hang around these parts? If your not careful someone's going to clip your wings." Jason said as he crowded closer to Tim.

Tim didn't budge from his perch. He could see activity from the warehouse, he'd be damned if he let this lead slip through his finger.

"I'm not here for a fight Red Hood."

"That's too bad because I am. Leave pretender, you know this isn't your part of town."

Tim resisted the urge to curse. "I'm busy hunting down a lead go haunt someone else."

Jason laughed "I'm not a ghost pretender."

Tim let out a thoughtful noise "No I suppose you're more of a zombie."

"As fun as this has been, it's time for you to move along. Wouldn't want daddy to know you've been consorting with criminals."

Tim let out a snort. "Go fuck yourself."

"I'd really rather fuck other people." 

Before Tim could respond the warehouse Tim had been monitoring began to blow up.

Jason let out an exaggerated sigh "Well I guess you might as well stay for the fireworks."  
Tim dropped the binoculars he was holding, whirling on Jason.  
"God fucking dammit I needed information you fucking idiot I-"

Jason held up a slip of paper "Like information on the next shipment of drugs?"

Tim tried to snatch it but Jason pulled away. "Ah, ah, ah, information like this isn't free."

Tim balled his fist and shifted his stance ready to fight Jason for it.

"What do you want?" 

"I need you to hack into an account for me."

Tim raised an eyebrow "What the big bad wolf can't blow the house down."

Jason grinned sharply "Oh trust me the little bird I blow better than anyone." Tim felt flushed and annoyed "But this needs a certain delicate touch."

Tim turned to look at the blazing fire he could already hear the sirens. "Fine. Give me the information."

"Hack first." Tim made an annoyed noise but didn't argue. "Keep up." He swung to the next building. Jason's laughter followed him. 

\--

Jason gave a sharp whistle "Dang Tim keeping it classy, aren't you?"

For a second Tim looked around his apartment viewing it from Jason's eyes. "Do you want the hack or not?" 

"Aw come on Timmy where's your hospitality?"

"Up yours." 

"Awful rude Timmy I almost feel obligated to wash your mouth with soap."

Tim was running less than two hours of sleep and the unrealness of having Jason in his apartment was getting to him. He tugged his mask off and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Come on." Tim led Jason deeper into the apartment to a bookcase that his an entrance.  
"A secret doorway behind a bookshelf? You must really love the cliches."

"I suppose I could do it like you and have an ever-changing safe house with rats as decoration." Tim went into the room.

"Aw have you been stalking me again?"

He settled into his chair and looked into the four massive screens from which he operated. "What account do you need me to hack into?"

"Chris Malone. I need you to empty out his money."

"Into where?" 

"Pick a charity."

Tim turned to look at Jason who had already settled into the nearby coach Tim sometimes passed out in. He had a book in his hand, with his helmet discarded somewhere, stretching out languidly without seeming to have a care in the world.

"And why am I doing this."

"Well, I imagine it would be for the information I have," Jason said without looking up from his book. Tim contemplated kicking him out. It would be a setback but he could probably get it. Then Tim thought of the three months of chasing down dead ends with minimal hours of sleep. Tim turned around and started hacking.

An hour later Tim straightened out back cracking. He turned to look at Jason's mouth already open to demand the information. Jason was fast asleep book still open on his chest. It was startling to see Jason like that. He looked softer somehow. Tim refused to examine why his chest tightened or why instead of waking him he let him sleep and headed upstairs to collapse on his own bed.

In the morning Tim woke to the sound of frying eggs. With frightened horror, Tim approached the Kitchen. Sure enough, Jason was there as if nothing about this situation was abnormal. Tim stood in the doorway until Jason turned to Tim.  
"I must be having a nightmare." Tim blurted out.

"Strange nightmares you're having. Might wait to go see a psychologist about that." Jason lifted the pan. "Eggs?"

Tim stumbled into the kitchen to start the coffee. That done he slumped into a chair. "It is too early and I have had way too little coffee to deal with you right now."

Jason made some type of noise but by that time Tim was already half asleep again. It wasn't until Jason put a cup of coffee next to his head that he actually started paying attention. 

"Ok. I've hacked the account give me the information." He took a sip of his coffee ignoring the burning sensation. 

"What charity did you put it into?"

"Anounoumous donation to Gotham's orphanages."

Jason made a thoughtful sound as he chewed on his eggs.  
"The next shipment comes into the eastern dock next Monday at 2 am."

Tim took another sip of his coffee and nothing more was said until Jason finished his eggs and put the plate in the sink. He slung his leather jacket and said: "Well this was fun baby bird lets never do it again." He gave a sarcastic salute and left. Tim stared into his coffee wondering if his morning was going to get any more surreal.


	2. Chapter 2

The eastern docks were empty. Tim was beyond pissed. he had stalked the empty docks for hours searching for even a meager sign of activity. Nothing. Not even some small crime to make him feel as if he hadn't wasted the entirety of the night following Jason's false information. It was now 4 am and Tim was in the midst of full-blown fury. 

He contacted Oracle. "Oracle."

"Red Robin this is a surprise."

"I need a favor."

Tim heard her sigh 'You never call, you never write but whenever someone needs something..."  
Tim winced, for a moment guilt pulled him from his anger. "Sorry Oracle, but I really do need a favor."

"What do you need?"

"Current location of Red Hood." Tim started heading in the direction of crime alley.

"You sure you want to do whatever it is your about to do?" 

"Yes."

Barbara gave another sigh but gave him the address.

"Thanks, Oracle, I owe you one."

"And I will collect. Oh and Red Robin, Red hoods in the middle of a fight. Good luck."

Barbara switched off her side of the com before Tim could say anything else. He hurried on.

\--

The gunshots were the first thing Tim heard. He perched on a building, peering down to watch the fight. Jason was apparently in the middle of a gang fight, as in Jason was currently fighting an entire gang. For a minute Tim contemplated simply leaving him there, let him fight an entire gang himself, Tim owed him nothing. Without giving himself time to think, Tim dropped down on a thug about to swing a crowbar down on Jason. Jason didn't even stop he punched another in the face and put his back to Tim. Tim was surprised that Jason hadn't launched some quip or other. They fought in relative silence, twirling, doing, keeping each other back. It felt nice. As nice as anything to do with Jason ever feels. 

When the only two people left where Tim and Jason, Tim whirled on Jason his forgotten anger rekindling with the adrenaline pumping through his system. 

"You goddamn asshole you gave me wrong information-" Tim was interrupted by Jason half collapsing onto Tim.  
"Shit. Where are you hurt?" Tim propped Jason up while trying to check for injuries.

"I'm fine just a little scratch." Jason swayed as he spoke.

Tim made sure the gang members weren't getting up anytime soon then sent Oracle a message explaining the situation, she would make sure the cops would find the gang members and arrest them. He started moving Jason in the direction of the nearest safe house. "Yeah, a little scratch that's going to get you killed because you're too stupid to realize you're bleeding out."  
Jasons laugh was a little too ragged for Tim's liking. 

"I've already died once how bad can the second time be."

Tim cursed under his breath. "Christ, you can be melodramatic when you aren't bleeding out." Despite his words, Tim was gentle as he helped Jason limp along, the safehouse wasn't too far and Jason was stubborn enough to let himself bleed out if Tim didn't intervene.

"I hope you know that after you stop bleeding I'm going to kick your ass," Tim said conversationally.

"Oh? It seems like a lot of trouble to heal me only to harm me again," responded Jason in an equally conversational if somewhat breathless tone. "always thought you as more of a masochist than a sadist."

Tim snorted "Is that why you sent me on a wild goose chase? To feed my masochistic tendencies?"

Whatever answer Jason was going to give was subverted by his loss of consciousness. Tim cursed loudly as Jason's weight caught him by surprise. The safe house was just a street away. Tim managed to half carry half drag Jason down the street and through the door of the safe house. he quickly went to work stripping Jason and dressing his wound. It wasn't until half an hour later when Tim was sure Jason would make it through the night that Tim was able to breathe properly. He very deliberately did not think about why that was. And if he sat next to Jason just listening to him breathe well no one was there to see him. 

It was Jasons groaning that woke Tim in the morning. Tim was moving before he fully woke up. His hands pressed onto Jason's shoulders to push him back down on the bed. "Don't be an idiot you're going to tear your stitches."

Jason scowled as he inspected his injury. "Well damn." with a resigned sigh he threw his head back onto the pillow before turning to evaluate Tim. "Why the hell were you in my part of town anyway?"

Tim felt last nights anger rekindle "Don't play dumb," Tim snapped "You gave me a shit information, you asshole I wasted months looking for that only for you to-" 

"The information I gave you was legit." Jason interrupted with a frown.

Tim snorted "Right and this isn't just you covering your ass. You know I probably would have helped you even if you didn't have the information. You didn't have to lie to me." Tim was thrown by the honest hurt in his voice, he had meant to be righteously angry, not this. 

There were a few seconds of silence as they both processed Tims declaration.

"The information I gave you was legitimate. I didn't lie." Jason's voice was strangely gentle. Tim shrugged the fight leaving him just as quickly as it had come. "Whatever." He stood brusquely "I have to go." 

"Tim I-"

"It doesn't matter." Tim felt oddly exposed and raw. Too many sleepless nights were catching up to him. Tim paused at the doorway. "Make sure your own stupidity doesn't lead you to tear your stitches, you lost a lot of blood last night." Tim left before Jason could answer.

\--

Two days later Tim was at the end of his rope. All the work he had put into the case had turned up nothing. It was all dead ends and useless spying which lead to more nothing.

After the useless casing of another warehouse, Tim headed home, jumping from rooftop to rooftop absentmindedly focused more on his dead-end case than on where he was going. 

If Tim had been trained by anyone else perhaps he wouldn't have noticed the figure standing on the adjacent rooftop. "Red Hood?"  
Jason didn't say anything but waved him over. As Tim got closer he noticed the bound man passed out at Jason's feet, before he could say anything Jason knelt and slapped the man awake.

"Nap times over." Jason loomed over the man "Why don't you tell my friend here the story you told me?" 

The man spat out the gag as Jason loosened it "Fuck you."

Jason smiled dangerously "And I thought we were just starting to be friends or do we need to spend some more quality time together?"

The man's courage faded, he glanced at Tim nervously "Shit man it's you freaks everybody's worried about these days, it don't matter who's in charge if they can't move without one of you costumed freaks riding his ass-" 

"Get to the point" snapped Jason. The man glared but continued "Every boss around here reached an agreement they'ed tip each other off if they caught sight of a cape, they have a system with the street kids now, they won't bother the rats as long as the rats follow you costumed freaks and report where you've been and where you go." 

"That's enough, thanks!" Jason said brightly then proceeded to knock the man out again.

"I told you my information was legit," Jason said a trace of smugness in his voice.

For a second Tim understood what Cat owners felt like when their animal brought them a dead bird and presented it to them proudly. 

"Yes. You did. Thank you, Jason."

Jason preened "Well as you were wrong and I was right-"

"Technically," Tim tried to interrupt but Jason kept on talking 

"-You now owe me one and I demand compensation."

Tim raised an eyebrow "I do recall someone saving your ass the other night."

"Nope, don't remember," Jason said as he picked up the unconscious man with a grunt and hoisted him onto the fire escape. He considered the man for a moment then shrugged and walked back to Tim. Tim couldn't help but say "That may be because you passed out from the blood loss. Should you even be out right now?" 

"Aww, baby bird is that concern in your voice, careful what would the family say if they knew you were concerned about the black sheep. Wouldn't want to disappoint daddy bats again, now would you? He might disown you and take the Robin name away completely." Jason's tone was a little too sharp to be playful and just like that whatever camaraderie had been between them disappeared.  
The faint smile Tim had been trying to hide went flat, his voice cold and sharp "Everybody knows your his ultimate failure and disappointment. At least you can rest easy in knowing that that's the one title I can never take away from you." 

Tim didn't give Jason a chance to respond already leaping to the next rooftop. Tim got home without further interruption but even though he was exhausted the tightness in his chest wouldn't let him rest. He threw himself into the new lead and thought of nothing but the case for the rest of the night.


End file.
